Skyline Arch Trail is short enough to be overlooked when you are planning your itinerary for Arches National Park, but the impressive rock span at the end of the effortless trail is worth checking out. Located near the Devils Garden Trailhead (start of the hike to Landscape Arch), this 0.4-mile round trip hike ascends a mere 50 feet to the base of a sandstone fin that houses a large elevated natural arch.

A panel at the trailhead depicts how a large block of sandstone fell from Skyline Arch in 1940, doubling the size of the arch overnight. Currently, the arch measures 71 feet across and 33.5 feet tall. Boulders from the collapse remain, and can be seen below the arch today.

Looking up at Skyline Arch

The hike is so short that Skyline Arch is visible from the start. Take the well maintained single-track around the north end of a sandstone fin running parallel with the arch. On the other side, you will come across the boulders that settled on the desert floor. Either stand back and enjoy the view of the arch, or scramble up the rocks onto the neighboring fin to gain a better perspective of Skyline Arch.

A sheer drop on the sandstone wall below the arch makes it impossible to reach from this side. There is however, a trail up the backside of Skyline Arch that begins at Devils Canyon Campground. If you happen to see adventurous campers standing below the arch, you will know how they got there.

Children standing beneath Skyline Arch

To get to the trailhead: From the visitor center, drive 17.5 miles north on Park Avenue. The trail to Skyline Arch begins from a turnout half a mile from the end of the road at Devils Garden.

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